1
2019-2020 ALA CD#42_FINAL
2020 ALA Virtual Council Meeting COUNCIL
ANNUAL MEETING
TOPIC: Forward Together: Recommendations for a reimagined American Library Association
governance model - Next Steps and Timeline
MOTION APPROVED by substitution:
1. ALA Council, as the policy-making body of the Association, takes responsibility for the decision making on the Forward Together process;
2. ALA Council requests that the ALA Executive Board present the SCOE Report with specific action items and a draft timeline to ALA Council along with consolidated feedback from the various conversation
sessions, hearings, and email commentary prior to a fall meeting;
3. That the President call at least one meeting of ALA Council (fall meeting) prior to the Midwinter Meeting devoted exclusively to discussion of changes to the structure of ALA governance and the detailed plans for a Constitutional Convention;
4. ALA Council requests the Forward Together Working Group and the Forward Together Fiscal Analysis Working Group provide regular, ongoing formal updates to ALA Council for discussion prior to ALA Annual Conference in Chicago in 2021;
5. ALA Council requests that the timeline include scheduling a Constitutional Convention before and during the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago in 2021.
2
REQUESTED BY: Julius C. Jefferson Jr., ALA President-Elect
DATE: June 2020
BACKGROUND:
In June 2018 ALA President Jim Neal charged the newly appointed Steering Committee on
Organizational Effectiveness (SCOE) to develop and recommend strategies and tactics to create an ALA with the agility to respond to current challenges and opportunities, and to focus energy and resources on its mission and members in the decades to come. Through Midwinter 2020, SCOE conducted in person and virtual listening groups, spoke to thousands of members, and engaged with numerous ALA committees, divisions, round tables, and affiliates to create “Forward Together: Recommendations for a reimagined American Library Association governance model” (MW 2019 CD #35). These recommendations now come before Council for discussion and action. The attached timeline is one such process for guiding those discussions and votes. This timeline was developed in consultation with ALA Parliamentarian Eli Mina, SCOE, and the ALA Executive Board to ensure broad participation by Councilors and healthy discussion with a clear amendment process. This Council process can be amended by Council at any time. Council will work closely with the Forward Together Working Group who will be assessing, evaluating, and aiding Council in its decision making.
Attached is the proposed timeline and the analysis of the Constitution & Bylaws Committee and the Committee on Organization on direct changes to ALA’s structure and its Constitution & Bylaws. This analysis is part of a larger report given to the Executive Board in Spring 2020 and is for
informational purposes.
Moving ALA Forward Together: The reimagining ALA process
Timeline of Next Steps
June/July 2020
• The final report of the Steering Committee on Organizational Effectiveness will be presented to ALA Council and the Forward Together Working Group will take over facilitation of the session with ALA Council.
• ALA Council will vote on the proposed course of action as outlined here
June 2020 to December 2020
• In preparation for a large-scale “Constitutional Convention”, virtually, ALA Council will discuss and vote on the various components of Forward Together as well as proposed amendments as identified by the Forward Together Working Group and ALA Council.
January 2021 Midwinter - Indianapolis
• The amended Forward Together governance model will be presented for a final debate during a Constitutional Convention style event. Further amendments may be added during this event. This event will include ALA Councilors and additional stakeholders within the association. The details and process for the Constitutional Convention are still being discussed and will be led by the Forward Together Working Group in collaboration with ALA Parliamentarian Eli Mina.
3
• A final vote on the model at the conceptual level will be taken by ALA Council.
• The report from the Forward Together Fiscal Analysis Working Group will be presented to Council.
March 2021
• Preliminary new bylaws will be drafted in the fall/winter based on Council conversations and published in March reflecting the new governance structure.
• The proposed new governance structure and the proposed new Bylaws to match it will be made available via ALA’s website for ALA Council and ALA Members to review. These will be posted in March 2021 to ready Council for voting.
April 2021
• First Council Vote on the New ALA Bylaws: The proposed new ALA Bylaws, reflecting the original Forward Together proposal and amendments made to it to accommodate Council’s input, will be presented for debate, final amendments, and the first official vote, as required by the current ALA Constitution.
Annual Session 2021
• Second Council Vote on the New ALA Bylaws
Special ballot to members July 2021
• An Online Vote by ALA Membership on the New Bylaws: The new ALA Bylaws, having been approved by two consecutive votes of the ALA Council, will be presented to the ALA Membership for an online vote as part of a special July 2021 ballot.
Sept 2021
4 Constitution Article I: Name II: Object III: Membership IV: Divisions
and Round Tables
V: Meetings VI: Council VII: Executive Board VIII: Officers and Committees IX: Endowment Funds X: Affiliated Organizations and Chapters XI: Bylaws Amendments and Editorial Changes XII: Amendments
C & B Analysis N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Change to "Board of
Directors" throughout; Sec 3- Under Forward Together, Board of Directors is accountable directly to membership. Change Council to "membership"?
this section could potentially elaborate on the Standing Committees of the Board of Directors or mention their existence and defer to the bylaws for further definition; alternately, there could be a separate Article that defines those committees
Forward Together doesn't recommend any changes to Endowment Trustees. update to reflect dissolution of Council update to reflect dissolution of Council
Executive Board N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A In Article VII, Section1,
change the composition of the Executive Board to reflect the Forward Together
recommendations: 4 elected by membership: president, president elect, immediate past president, treasurer; 8 elected by membership: at-large members; 5 appointed by the Board for unique skills and perspectives not represented by elected members; In Article VII, Section 3, remove references to Council. Consider replacing “Council” with “ALA membership.”
In Article VIII, Section 1, indicate that the Forward Together
recommendations call for an Executive Committee, a
five member subgroup of the Board made up of the ALA president, president elect, immediate past president, treasurer, and executive director.
Council N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Eliminate and (generally
speaking) move duties assigned to Council to Board of Directors. Dissolution would require the vote of the membership. To place the bylaws change on the ballot Council would have to vote twice to place the item on the ballot for the
membership. Since Council is the "governing body" it would more than likely be prudent to reserve council's dissolution as the last step of the process.
this section could potentially elaborate on the Standing Committees of the Board of Directors or mention their existence and defer to the bylaws for further definition; alternately, there could be a separate Article that defines those committees
Executive Board Committees N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
ALA Committees N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Leadership Assemblies N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Divisions N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
5
Bylaws Article I: Membership II: Meetings III: Nominations and
Elections
IV: Council V. Chapters VI: Divisions VII: Round
Tables
VIII: Committees IX:
Finances X: Notices by Mail XI: Voting by Mail XII: Parliamen tary
C & B Analysis references to
"Executive Board" change to "Board of Directors"; sec 2: Dues increases set by Board of Directors and then straight to membership?; sec 3- set by the Board of Directors
Eliminate sec 5(3); Add new section for Leadership Assembly meetings? sec 1.1 Change to Nominating Committee -- no longer a Committee on Appointments and a Nominating Committee; sec 1.2- Change to reflect the new positions the Nominating Committee will be responsible for: ALA officers and chairs for the six standing committees of the Board of Directors; sec 1.3- Eliminate references to Council; sec 4.1- Forward Together recs don't include a Committee on Election; sec 5.1- Remove Committee on Election -- replace with Board of Directors? Association Policy? Another Standing Committee?; sec 6.3 Board of Directors would be directly elected by the membership
Recommendations do not include Council; this section would need to be replaced by information about the three Leadership Assemblies, Committees, and Board of Directors.
Sec. 4- The
recommendations do not explicitly take a position on this, but with chapter representative taking on a less formal role (i.e., no longer sending an individual to occupy a seat on Council) there is an opportunity to loosen this rule.; Add section about Chapter Leadership Assembly? Sec 1- Opportunity to rethink this number (500). Recommendations don't specify a minimum number.; 2- Replace with ALA Board of Directors; 3.1 and 3.2- Recommendations don't specify this. Perhaps remove?; 4- need to distinguish Divisions' Board of Directors from ALA Board of Directors; 6.2- ALA Board of Directors and Finance & Audit Standing Committee; 9.1, 9.2 Forward Together recommends that Divisions not have separate bylaws. 1.1: Forward Together recommends an increase in the minimum number of dues-paying members to one percent of ALA’s membership unless identified as a strategic priority by the Board of Directors.; 3- Forward Together recommends consistent dues for all Round Tables and suggests $20 for each Round Table
1.1- This would become working groups and advisory group. "Special committees" are not part of the FT
recommendations.; 2.1- Change to Standing Committees of the Board of Directors.; 2.1 Replace with details about standing committees of the board from the FT
recommendations; 2.2 Remove; 3 FT doesn't recommend "Special committees." Replace with details about Working Groups, Advisory Groups, and Communities of Interest.; 4 and 5- remove; 7.2 Remove all references to Committees of Council
No changes
Remove Remove No changes
Executive Board N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Council N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Executive Board N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
ALA Committees N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Leadership N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Divisions N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A ALA bylaws
currently refer to separate bylaws for Divisions. Forward Together recommends that Divisions operate under ALA bylaws and not have separate governing docs.
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
